When to wean?

[Obe-Willow]

I have two does Moonbeam (a FF) and Lily (2nd fresh) that are nursing there kids Moonbeam had twins on March 22nd, we are going to keep the doe and let her nurse but we are going to sell the wether.
Lily had trips on the March 14th (2 does and 1 buck) and we want to wean the wether and sell him.

When can we wean them? The wethers are eating grain,hay and browse and are drinking water.

And what is a fair price to ask for them?

Thanks Marisa

[ozark_jewels]

Wethers are generally sold for meat prices.....so what do they weigh?? Its a little early to wean late March babies in my opinion, but if the doelings need the milk....... Main things are that they are gaining well and eating on their own well.

[Obe-Willow]

I am not sure how much they weigh, my goats got hold of my weigh tape and chewed it up but they problaby weigh between 30 and 40 pounds but I am not sure.I forgot to add we are thinking of weaning them at the end of june is that to soon?

Thanks Marisa

[Feral Nature]

Sounds like they are 9 and 10 weeks old if i figured right. That is old enough to wean if they are big and well grown for that age and are really eating well and you need the milk to better grow out your doelings. Wethers are a burden.

What they weigh and what breed they are makes a difference too. Wethers unfortunately for them, are considered meat. Very few get pet homes. Different parts of the country get different prices for their little goats. I am in an area where I can sell mine without too much trouble. I get $50. minimum for a very young wether or buckling. If I put much time or milk into it, I ask more, or keep it for my own freezer.

[chamoisee]

I butcher bucklings/wethers at 8-12 weeks, while they are still nursing. The meat is so tender at that age....

Doelings, dam raised, I let nurse for as long as they want to. They might get a little pudgy, but they get bred in late fall, so it all comes off again. The way I look at it is that I want the doelings to get as much calcium into their bones as they can.

The thing is, though, I always had a real glut of milk. If you don't, you may want to do it differently. I wouldn't wean a doeling that I planned to keep at less than four months old..but you can do it at 3 months if you feed well and protect her from the older does so that she can eat as much as she needs.

[Feral Nature]

I am bottle raising my kids. Mine are 11-13 weeks old. Six doelings and 1 pet wether (my neice just had to make a pet out of it). I will keep bottle-feeding them for as long as I possibly can. I am milking 4 does and have plenty of milk so their is no reason at all to quit. I would wean the wether early, but he lives with the doelings (too cruel to stop his bottles at 3 months and keep giving the girls theirs!) So I will keep them on milk for at least 4 months. They also get alfalfa pellets, coastal hay and browse. Oh, and loose goat minerals.

[ozark_jewels]

By the end of June they should be *well* able to be weaned. I sell my meat wethers for no less than a $1.00 per lb. Sometimes up to $1.20 a lb. depending on the meat prices at the time.

[moonspinner]

I generally wean my sales goats at 9 weeks and my own nurse for much longer.

[Oldntimes]

I do pretty much the same as moonspinner, I wean my sold kids at 9 weeks old, they already have been eating grain since they were 3 weeks old. Then I keep them for an additional week away from mom just to make sure they are drinking well. I raise Nigerians and even though they are much smaller then your larger breeds they tend to mature quicker.
Pretty much all of the Nigie kids I have bought have been around 9 weeks old, never had any problem and even though they have all been dam raised They are all very friendly.
Does that I have kept and left on thier dams have been more stand offish, then the ones weaned at 9 weeks. So that is what works for me.
I think it is up to the individual breeder and what works for them, no way is better then the other, just what works.

[Obe-Willow]

Thanks for all the info, I am going to wean the wethers at the end of june and sell them but I will let my doelings nurse for as long as they want or until mom is tried of nursing them.

Thanks Marisa

[christij]

Just be prepared for crying babies that will try to thieve milk if they are in the field next to mom!

[animalfarmer]

Hi obe-willow,Isent you a P.M. It may be of intrest.Best of luck.